| Author |
Topic: HELP! Ear Plugs for Steel Players |
Carl Kilmer
From:
East Central, Illinois
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 2:58 am |
|
I hope I put this in the right spot.
Do any of you folks use ear plugs, when practicing or playing out.
Since my accident in 07, my hearing is so bad I don't want to practice.
No matter what steel or amp I use, the sound always sounds distorted and
tinny, and I don't hear the separation in the strings that I should.
Friends say they love my sound, and wish theirs would sound that good.
I've been looking at Etymotic Research ER20BP High Fidelity Ear Plugs,
and also the HEAROS HIGH FIDELITY HI-FI EAR PLUGS they both look good.
I wonder if anyone uses either of them, and how well you may like them.
I don't play loud, and it aggravates me, that I can't even enjoy practicing.
I've spent the last year trying to learn to play again, and it's been hard.
Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Carl "Lucky" Kilmer
_________________
aka "Lucky Kay"--Custom built Rittenberry SD10 3X5, Walker S/S, NV-112, and Hilton Pedal |
|
|
|
Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 3:57 am
|
|
| Carl, I use Musician's Earplugs from Westone. You have to be fitted for them, so you have to contact your health care provider and get a referral to an audiologist. They are expensive, but much better than the store-bought earplugs. Try the 15 dB filters. |
|
|
|
Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 4:23 am
|
|
Spend the money on custom fitted musician's earplugs. I got mine from Sensaphonics. The filters are interchangeable. I have both -9db filters and -15db filters. I find that our band plays low enough that the -15db filters are just too much.
Here is a link to the Sensaphonics web site:
Click Here
Lee, from South Texas |
|
|
|
Carl Kilmer
From:
East Central, Illinois
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 2:55 pm
|
|
Thanks Bryon and Lee, I went to the Sensaphonics web site,
and for a good product at a lower cost, they recommend using
a pair of Etymotic Research ER20BP High Fidelity Ear Plugs,
and I ordered 2 pairs to see if they will help with my problem.
I'll let you know how good they are after I get to try them out.
Carl "Lucky" Kilmer
_________________
aka "Lucky Kay"--Custom built Rittenberry SD10 3X5, Walker S/S, NV-112, and Hilton Pedal |
|
|
|
Bryan Daste
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 3:13 pm
|
|
| Those flange-types are better than foam, but I bet you'll be better off with the fitted plugs. I actually carry my fitted plugs, a flange type (like the ER20BP) and Hearos...they all have their uses, depending on circumstances. |
|
|
|
jerry harkins
From:
kingsland tx
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 3:53 pm plugs
|
|
I use Westone plugs also.
They will save your hearing. I did'nt start using mine soon enough so now i have Tinnitus , my ears are sensitive now and i can't play without them except at low volumes. I use the 9db & 15db filters. They were hard to get use to at first, but they are a must. |
|
|
|
Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 3:56 pm
|
|
The problem with the ER20's is that they stick out of your ear quite a ways... In my expierience, if you scratch your head or are throwing a guitar strap over your head every once in a while, or basically touch the end of them by mistake for whatever reason, you get a very loud volume spike in that ear, which I found to not work for me.
I have molds with ER9/ER15/ER25 filters.
I mainly use the 9's and 15's. |
|
|
|
Jeff Valentine
From:
Colorado Springs, USA
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 5:43 pm
|
|
| I also have a pair of Westone plugs and think they're pretty good. |
|
|
|
Ed Brooks
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
|
Posted 19 Oct 2009 5:48 pm
|
|
The custom fit westone musicians earplugs also offer close to flat frequency response. They just sound quieter not muffled, great for hearing intonation and overall tone.
_________________
A blind beagle, a shepherd retriever mix, and a brown lab mix |
|
|
|
